As it turns out, the 46th president is a fan of launch control. It sounds like he had never been in a car equipped with the feature until relatively recently when he drove an unspecified Porsche. The circumstances of the Commander-In-Chief’s drive are unclear, but speaking to O’Brien, he says “You know the new ones? They have a launch switch. I got a Porsche up to 171 miles an hour,” going on to explain how the feature works. “It is incredible.”

President Biden provided no other details besides that brief statement, but it’s likely that the stint in the sports car from Stuttgart occurred before he was president. Porsches have been equipped with launch control for some time, and whenever the most powerful man on earth drives a car, we tend to hear about it and see video.

Biden has driven a smattering of new electric vehicles in front of the press, including the Hummer EV, F-150 Lightning, and Cadillac Lyriq. He was also filmed revving a Z06 Corvette at the Detroit Auto Show last year. All of this happened off of public roads, of course. The last time we’re aware of him driving his C2 was at the aforementioned Secret Service test facility. 

Although we don’t know which Porsche he took up to 171, almost all the vehicles the company offers, at least the sports cars, are capable of those speeds. The new 911 S/T, for instance, will hit 0-60 in just 3.5 seconds and tops out at 186 miles per hour.

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The movie is a forgettable 1980s “teen coming of age before dying and coming back to life to get revenge and win the girl’s heart” B movie. It stars a young Charlie Sheen and Sherilyn Fenn before she made Twin Peaks. It also features a gang of lightweight, two-dimensional villains and Randy Quaid doing Randy Quaid things as the local sheriff. But the real attraction is the Dodge Turbo Interceptor. 

Originally built by Chrysler as a concept vehicle and Indy pace car prototype, the Dodge Interceptor M4S was a mid-engine sports car. It used a version of the 2.2-liter four-cylinder found in just about every K-car. Except this was not the engine in your Aunt’s wood-paneled LeBaron. It was seriously beefed up with dual overhead camshafts, sixteen valves, and a pair of Garrett turbochargers to produce an otherworldly 440 horsepower.  

Unfortunately, it never paced an Indy Car race, and Chrysler never produced it, even as a limited-run vehicle. Few, if any, replicas exist, and the number of original running prototypes can be counted on one finger. Yet despite this, one person built an exacting, virtually identical replica.  

Diminsonially this tribute car is spot on to the original Dodge Interceptor. But look past the bodywork, and you’ll see a well-thought-out mashup of other cars. The door handles are from an Aston Martin. The seats are from an Audi. And the dashboard and bones of this car are unmistakably a first-generation Porsche Boxster. 

It’s amazing how well it fits together. Even with the Porsche Boxster dashboard, the interior has a futuristic look with the custom instrument cluster. Best of all, it’s not a movie prop but a street-legal car that gets driven regularly. 

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Earl Simmons – known by his stage name DMX – recently passed away from complications following a heart attack. As one of the most successful rappers of all time, the funeral procession for such a shining light in the hip-hop community was something special.

The memorial service, which took place on April 24, 2021, featured a monster truck accompanied by a flock of motorcycles to accompany DMX on his last ride. The hearse of choice was a Ford F-250 decked out with all of the monster truck accoutrements. Along with big axles and tires, the truck was adorned with the phrase “long live DMX” and the Ruff Ryders logo.

On the way to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY, his ruby red coffin sat in the bed of the pickup. Fans around the world were able to watch the procession thanks to a live stream put on by BETNetworks.

To those not well versed in the hip-hop world, Simmons’ career began in the 1990s, where he was swiftly recognized for his raw and expressive style along with his high-spirited personality. While his approach was unorthodox, fans loved him because he was doing his own thing. To this day, he remains the only rapper to have his first five studio albums shoot to the top and the only artist to have two projects go platinum in a single year – not posthumously.

While the ceremony was limited to just friends and family, the motorcade was quite a sight with thousands of motorcycles flanking the hip-hop legend to his final resting place. Along with his success as an actor and a rapper, DMX will also be remembered for his many acts of kindness and compassion.

Sources:

The Graffiti Wanderer via YouTube, Jalopnik

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Hollywood is full of actors with big car collections, but few are as passionate about the car scene as Tim Allen. Similarly, few are as hands-on as Allen, and even fewer have legitimate racing experience to their credit. The star of Last Man Standing, Home Improvement, and numerous blockbuster films can claim all of the above.

Recently, the Petersen Museum visited Allen’s private garage in California and produced not one, but two videos showcasing the experience. Part one plays at the top of the article while part two plays below, but feel free to watch them in any order you like. The content isn’t episodic in nature, and whether you start with the first or second video, there’s plenty of automotive eye candy to appreciate.

If you do start with the first video, you’ll be introduced to a range of curious vehicles. The clip takes us past his Tesla Model 3 (which he acknowledges is one of the fastest cars he owns but has a love-hate relationship with) and hones in on his classic Ford Bronco. Also in that section of the garage are two cars you may not associate with the muscle-loving Allen; a curious Volkswagen Karmann Ghia with Porsche parts, and a Volvo P1800 that looks absolutely fantastic.

Things quickly get back to normal with a classic Ford F100 restomod that looks fiendish in black, parked next to another fiendishly black B-body Chevrolet Impala SS. It’s not an ordinary Impala, however, as under the hood is a rare LT5 DOHC 32-valve 5.7-liter V8 used in the C4 Corvette ZR-1. Other notable appearances in the first video include the first sleeper-cab semi-truck built by Studebaker, a mint Ford RS200 rally car, and more Ford love with a new GT and Shelby GT 350R.

The second video is perhaps more in line with Allen’s persona of big V8 power, opening with a classic Shelby Mustang GT350H and shifting to a couple of Cadillacs. It’s not all V8 glory, because Allen also has a beautiful Jaguar E-Type in his collection. It’s parked next to an extremely rare 1970.5 Ford Falcon, which was sold in America very briefly as part of the Torino lineup. He still has a couple of the hot rods built during his tenure as Tim “the toolman” Taylor on Home Improvement, and the collection wraps up with a restomod Camaro and a pair of classic Porsches.

Sadly, we don’t get to see his Chevrolet Corvair, which was undergoing work during the shoot. Perhaps the cameras can swing by for a third video that shows the quirky rear-engined car exclusively.

Sources:

Petersen Automotive Museum via YouTube, 2

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Tie-ins between automakers and entertainment aren’t new phenomena. Many of these collaborations have the automaker supply TV shows and movies, video games, and more with cars, though some lead to wild-looking promotional vehicles. The latter is the route Mini took to help celebrate the 80th anniversary of The Flash. The faster-than-light DC Comics superhero has had a resurgence in popularity thanks to the TV show and Justice League franchise.

However, The Flash wouldn’t be famous on the big screen without the comic book, which is what Mini is celebrating with its unique all-electric Cooper SE. The company built the Mini for the online Lucca ChanGes 2020 international fair, which covers comics, gaming, fantasy, and animation with the design penned by cartoonist Carmine Di Giandomenico, who has created more than 34 issues of The Flash comic. Giandomenico reinterpreted the cover of issue 123 by Carmine Infantino for the car.

Gallery: The Flash-Themed Mini Cooper SE

The design features both Jay Garrick and Barry Allen’s versions of The Flash with Central City in the background, just like the original cover. Giandomenico channeled his inner Flash, completing the project in just 10 hours. That’s not difficult for someone dubbed “the fastest cartoonist in the world” after drawing 56 comic tables in 48 hours in 2016. Mini doesn’t dive deep into the creative process, though the company says Giandomenico used a “mixed technique.”

The new art doesn’t change the SE’s performance. It packs a single electric motor powering the front wheels with 181 horsepower (135 kilowatts) and 199 pound-feet (270 Newton-meters) of torque. Sadly, it trails The Flash in performance, hitting 60 miles per hour (96 kilometers per hour) in 6.9 seconds with the top speed limited to 93 mph (150 kph). For comparison, The Flash can move at seven times the speed of light. Maybe the rumored all-electric John Cooper Works GP will be able to keep up.

Source:

Mini

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BMW has been partners with the Mission: Impossible movie franchise since 2011 when we saw the then i8 Concept making a cameo appearance in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. That partnership pushed on up to the film’s sixth installation, the Mission: Impossible – Fallout, where Ethan Hunt drove a BMW M5.

For the seventh one, it seems like BMW is keeping its collaboration with the action-packed film, based on this footage uploaded on YouTube by SupercarsNews. You can watch the video attached to this story.

Gallery: BMW 5 Series and M5 Mission Impossible Editions

While the footage’s not-so-great resolution failed to show us whether Hunt was driving a 5 Series or an M5, a frame-by-frame peek will let you catch the rear diffuser and four exhaust pipes indicating that it’s the latter. What’s clear is that the scene was shot in the narrow streets of Rome, allowing the tail-happy Bimmer to play around during the police chase scene.

We’re not sure if it’s indeed Cruise behind the steering wheel doing the stunts. However, it isn’t far-fetched to think so given the thumbnail that goes with the footage and the fact that he historically does his own car chases in previous Mission: Impossible movies.

And oh, one more thing. Did you notice the camera chase vehicles? Well, one’s a Nissan GT-R, while the original looks to be a first-generation Porsche Cayenne – both in black and modified for some camera duties. Pretty cool.

The Mission: Impossible 7 is scheduled to come out in theaters on November 19, 2021, with a direct sequel coming the following year around the same month. It was originally set for release on July 23, 2021, but got delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Source:

SupercarsNews (YouTube)

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Hollywood helped make the automobile an star, and a some visionary directors have provided us with some true icons. One that we enjoy is Tim Burton’s Art Deco Batmobile that first appeared in his 1989 Batman movie. Its audaciously long hood, gaping turbine, and fender wings were over-the-top, yet they fit Burton’s grimy aesthetic. These are rare beasts, but also one you could make your own if you have $25,000 to spare, though that’ll only get you started on your Batmobile project.

The bare Batmobile body is up for sale on Facebook Marketplace, but it’s incomplete. This isn’t a running example. It’ll require a chassis, mechanicals, paint, and the interior, which is quite a laundry list of costly needs. The ad claims the body is 100-percent hand-laid fiberglass, and it appears to be in stellar condition. The high price tag should keep away tire-kickers as the seller is looking for serious buyers only. The seller will consider trades, though we’d bet it’d have to be something pretty neat to make the owner part with a Batmobile body. 

Gallery: 1989 Batmobile Body For Sale

The 1989 Batmobile is an icon. Last year, Lego announced a Batmobile kit where the toy measured nearly two feet long, designed for builders 16 years and older who are capable of handling all 3,306 pieces. It also included neat features like a sliding cockpit, fender-mounted machine guns, and grappling hooks, helping to cement the wild design in pop culture.

Without a chassis or the mechanicals, the Batmobile body is the perfect launchpad for someone’s ambitious Batman project. There’s a new Batman movie in development, with actor Robert Pattinson playing the Cape Crusader. That means we’ll get a new Batmobile, too; however, from what we’ve seen so far, it takes a different approach than the wild 1989 Batmobile. That’s okay as someone will have a lot of fun making this one their own.

Source:

Facebook Marketplace

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It’s not uncommon to see celebrities, athletes, and other VIPs diversify their income streams with restaurants, clothing and makeup lines, and more. However, one industry that’s seen an influx of high-profile owners is the car dealership. Earlier this summer, Mark Wahlberg expanded his empire with a new store, and now, Damian Lillard, the NBA point guard for the Portland Trail Blazers, has joined the actor as a dealer with his own store – Damian Lillard Toyota.

Lillard opened the Toyota store in McMinnville, Oregon, with longtime friend Brian Sanders. Sanders, the founder of a local nonprofit, told OregonLive.com that Lillard wanted a dealership “that didn’t feel like a car dealership.” To start, it’s called the Lillard Toyota Campus, and it’s littered with Lillard’s touch. There’s memorabilia, ping pong tables, and Pop-a-Shot games, which give the campus a feeling of its own. The dealership also offers custom-designed donuts baked fresh daily, but these aren’t the dealership’s only highlights.

Gallery: Damian Lillard Toyota

Those who buy a car from Damian Lillard Toyota will enter the Damian Lillard Toyota VIP Club. It gives owners preferred access to Damian Lillard visits and events, including VIP experiences at local wineries, the Evergreen Space Museum, and more. Club members will also have opportunities to win Portland area concert tickets and win meet-and-greets. Every year, Lillard will also invite 40 random customers to be his guest at a basketball game. Lillard is taking the idea of three free oil changes to a new level.

The dealership opened last Thursday, on October 1, with Lillard marking the announcement on his Instagram account, sharing several photos of himself, Sanders, and the dealership. A video tour of the campus details the games, basketball decorations, and memorabilia customers could see when they visit. With Lillard and Wahlberg making inroads in the industry, we don’t doubt there’ll be more celebrity-owned stores in the future.

Sources:

Oregonlive.com, Damian Lillard / Instagram

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How cool are Fox Body Mustangs? Those who remember the 1980s and early 1990s, know these cars were Everywhere. The ‘Stang was so cool that cops even used them to catch bad guys, and they even left the chrome 5.0 badges on the fenders to scare perps into stopping. Vanilla Ice immortalized the white 5.0 in Ice Ice Baby, and if that’s not enough, even your humble author had a white 5.0 ragtop. Admittedly, that diminishes the cool factor.

Now, Ken Block’s daughter and racing protégé Lia is part of the elite, ultra-rad, 5.0 Fox Body Mustang owners club. The car was presented to her for her 14th birthday, and we welcome Lia into the epic world of middle-aged men suffering mid-life crisis cassette tapes, boom boxes, baggy pants, and trunks filled with subwoofers.

There’s just one small problem – this isn’t Lia’s Mustang. In fact, apparently she hates it. Don’t get all snippy on her though, because this is actually a very cool story and hey, not everyone can be cool enough for a 5.0, right?

It’s true that this crisp, white, highly modded 1990 Mustang GT convertible was presented to Lia for her birthday. However, the car isn’t the gift. She will just be using it to learn how to drift – with help from pro-drifter Vaughn Gittin Jr. no less. And when she’s done hooning the bejesus out of this thing, the car will be given away.

Presumably, it will go to a new owner fully equipped with all the drifting gear it has now. The two-week build process added a plethora of parts including a full coilover suspension, a steering angle kit, disc brake conversion, hydraulic handbrake, and much more. The video has all the details but suffice it to say, this Fox rebuild is so good you could sell it by the gram.

And who knows, perhaps Lia will fall under the Fox Body spell like so many of us have. Vanilla Ice already joined her dad in this clip for what proved to be a futile attempt at Mustang peer pressure. She already knows a thing or two about getting sideways after a thrash session in Block’s Escort Gymkhana car, so perhaps the old 5.0 pushrod roar and excessive tire smoke will change her mind.

Until then, check out the hook while the DJ revolves it. If you don’t get that reference, you’re not part of the secret Fox Body society.

Source:

Ken Block via YouTube

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There are few cars as iconic as General Lee, the bright-orange Dodge Charger of Bo and Luke Duke, better known as the Duke Boys from the hit TV show The Dukes of Hazard. It’s an often replicated piece of TV history, but not every General Lee you see is accurate. John Schnieder, who played Bo, posted a YouTube video to his channel where he breaks down the five mistakes he sees on General Lee clones by showing off his own clone. 

If the video proves one thing, it’s that the details matter. One mistake Schnieder often sees is the incorrect interior color. The orange Lee never had a black interior – it’s always been tan. He’s also seen clones with a passenger-side mirror, which the TV car did not feature. It’s one way to spot the difference between a 1968 and 1969 model. Another mistake he often sees is an orange rear panel around the taillights – it should be flat black. Another minor detail many clones get wrong is the word “Fuel” on the cap. It’s missing on many.  

While Schnieder runs down all the minor details one should look for when inspecting a General Lee clone, he does note that there’s no wrong way to make one. Even his General Lee clone lacks some details of the countless cars used on the show. His doesn’t have a roll cage because he gives people rides, and navigating around a roll car in a coupe would be downright rage-inducing for rear-seat passengers. His car also has the incorrect steering wheel.  

Schnieder also elaborates on some of the show’s behind-the-scenes magic. The white used for the flag on Lee’s roof wasn’t painted, but often white cloth medical tape outlining the contrasting colors. The bush bar at the front grew after the first five episodes as the crew began using it during filming. Other details came and went as the show grew popular. Production had to make sure the car was easy to duplicate because at any given time during production, there were 13 General Lee Chargers ready for their 15 minutes of fame before a likely damaged demise. 

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